Remembering John E.S. Scott

Dickinson Wright Remembers John E.S. Scott

10/18/2007

In Memory of John E.S. Scott1936 - 2007
The members of Dickinson Wright PLLC are saddened by the loss of their partner, John E. S. Scott, who passed away October 16. He was one of the state's leading trial lawyers, a former Chair of the Litigation Department, and a member of the Firm since 1962.
John had a distinguished career as a trial lawyer, representing a wide variety of corporate, municipal and individual clients in diverse and often groundbreaking litigation and appeals. He represented Ford, Chrysler, Subaru, and Nissan in product liability litigation, and was selected as one of Ford's national counsel in restraint litigation. He was the Lead Michigan Counsel for Eli Lilly in oral contraceptive and DES litigation. He represented Monsanto in PBB and PCB litigation. More recently, he served as Lead Trial Counsel for the Detroit Wayne County Stadium Authority in condemnation cases arising from the construction of the new stadiums.
John's skills as a trial lawyer and advocate earned him many awards and honors. In 2006 John was honored with the Richard B. Baxter Trial Lawyer of the Year Award from the Michigan Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), which recognizes the preeminent Michigan trial lawyer who best exemplifies the tradition of civility and integrity in the legal profession. John was also recognized with the Excellence in Defense Award by the Michigan Defense Trial Counsel in 1994. John was elected to the most prestigious bar associations, including the American College of Trial Lawyers, the International Society of Barristers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. John was honored as a commercial and personal injury lawyer in peer review rankings, including Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers in America and Chambers USA.
Over the years, John devoted significant time to public service and the legal profession. He was a member and past chair of the Michigan Appellate Defender Commission and a member and past chair of the Legal Aid and Defender Association.. He personally represented many pro bono clients and was often appointed by Judges to act as a Guardian Ad Litem or expert for the court. John received appointments from the Michigan Supreme Court as Chairman of the Caseflow Management Rules Committee, member of the Committee on Standard Jury Instructions, and member of the Committee on Defense Services. He served as a member and past president on the Alumni Board of Directors for Wayne State University and Wayne State University Law School. He was a frequent lecturer for many legal and education institutes in the areas of trial advocacy, trial procedure, evidence and civil procedure. He was the Mayor of Pleasant Ridge for 8 years.
In addition to his professional and community involvements, John was an outdoorsman and a family man. He greatly enjoyed his beautiful property outside of Tawas, Michigan. He was an avid fisherman and a long time member of the Detroit Golf Club. He was a member of the Albion College Sports Hall of Fame. But first and foremost in his life were his wife, Beverly, his daughter Pamela and her husband Jay Gardner, and his beloved granddaughter Kate.
John was a mentor and role model for many of the Firm's lawyers. He held a variety of positions in Firm management, including serving on the Firm's Professional Responsibility Committee. John was never too busy to consult, strategize or offer advice on any matter. He especially enjoyed working with junior lawyers and teaching trial advocacy and civility skills. His death is a loss to the Firm and the legal profession.